Premier League chief executive Scudamore on Thursday insisted that Wigan striker McManaman should have been charged by the FA over the challenge that left the Newcastle full-back in hospital and threatened to rule him out for the rest of the season.

The FA announced this week that it would not take action against McManaman, citing a decision made by English football’s major stakeholders last summer — including the Premier League — not to punish players retrospectively for incidents seen by at least one of the match officials.

McManaman’s knee-high tackle was witnessed — albeit not clearly — by an assistant referee, resulting in the 20-year-old receiving a yellow card.

The FA’s decision led to calls on Thursday to change its rules, a move The Daily Telegraph learnt had garnered support from all the main stakeholders apart from the Football League.

But Scudamore insisted no amendment was needed for the FA to have charged McManaman on the basis that the incident represented the kind of “exceptional” circumstance for which action could be taken.

He said: “I don’t think anybody in the Premier League, perhaps bar Wigan, would have complained had they decided this was exceptional. That’s where the Premier League is on this, I don’t think the rules need changing, I don’t think the line needs moving.

“If they have the ability to deal with an exceptional incident, it looked to most of us that was an exceptional incident. What we don’t want is re-refereeing, everyone is agreed on that. I think the current system works and no one would have criticised the FA if they had decided that was exceptional.

“I can understand why given what’s happened this week the FA are looking for some cover and I don’t blame them for that.

“Yes, there is a system that says there are some very clear guidelines that says under what circumstances they can effectively apply retrospective disciplinary action and, like all guidelines and rules, there is in their view a fixed line. But we live in a nuanced world, nothing is that precise, and my view is that currently they have the ability in exceptional circumstances to take retrospective action.”